By Brett Carroll
Staff Writer
Several Monmouth County high school students were rewarded for their performances in the theater and in the arts.
On May 24, the Count Basie Theatre conducted the 12th annual Basie Awards, which celebrates the excellence and achievements of the those in high school theater.
The awards are named after the historic Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, which has been a staple in Monmouth County since 1926. It was renamed from the Carlton Theater to the Count Basie Theatre in 1984 after Red Bank native, jazz musician William “Count” Basie.
During the ceremony, 16 awards were given out for musicals and another nine were given out for dramas. Five scholarships were also awarded during the ceremony, according to a press release from the Count Basie Theatre.
Tom Martini, who served more than 30 years on the board of trustees for the local theatrical group Phoenix Productions, received the Count Basie Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony. Martini said he was honored to receive the award, but gave all the credit to the talent that had come through the group over the years.
“I am honored to be recognized by the prestigious Count Basie Theatre organization,” Martini said. “The Basies have become an institution here in Central New Jersey and I am constantly in awe of the talent these kids have and the work they put in to create amazing productions.”
The five winners of the Count Basie Theatre’s Arts Impacts Scholarships were Lucas Angelo Degirolamo, Kiera Kulaga, Sean Molicki, Kate Manning, and Megan Theobald, according to the release.
Degirolamo attends Ocean Township High School and received the Monmouth Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health Arts Impact Scholarship, according to the release. Kulaga is a student at Middletown High School South and received the Monmouth County Freeholders Basie Scholarship for Continuing Education, according to the release. Molicki attends Mater Dei Prep and received the Moser Taboada Arts Impact Scholarship, according to the release. Manning is a student at Henry Hudson Regional and received the Steven and Jaime Schultz Art Impact Scholarship. Theobald goes to St. Rose High School and received the Siciliano Landscape Company Arts Impact Scholarship, according to the release.
Musicals Awards
Honeymoon in Vegas, performed at Matawan Regional High School and In the Heights, performed at Long Branch High School, were the big winners in the musical awards, with the former winning six awards and the latter winning four awards.
Vegas was a co-winner of the award for Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, and won the award of Outstanding Featured Ensemble Group, according to the release. Vegas’ Quinn Surdez won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical while Melissa Calicchio was the co-winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, according to the release. Vegas’ Linda Walling took home two awards for Outstanding Direction and Production in a Musical.
Heights won the award for Outstanding Set Design in a Musical and Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical, according to the release. Heights’ Jon Araujo and Eddie Hernandez both won the award for Outstanding Featured Ensemble Performer.
Other notable winners were Red Bank Catholic High School’s Cinderella, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s Tarzan, and Middletown High School South’s The Producers, which all won at least two awards.
Marlboro High School’s Crazy for You won the award for Outstanding All Student Orchestra and Mater Dei Prep’s Cry Baby was the other co-winner of the Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical award, according to the release.
Drama Awards
Marlboro High School’s Our Town dominated the Dramatic Productions awards, winning seven of the nine awards. The play won the award for Outstanding Light Design in a Drama, both Outstanding Actress and Actor in a Drama, Outstanding Direction and Production in a Drama, and Corinne Lynch and Emma Lewis were the co winners of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Award, according to the release.
Howell High School’s The Diviners won two awards, and Red Bank Regional High School’s The Crucible won one award.
Yvonne Lamb Scudiery, vice president, education, Count Basie Theater, praised all of the winners this year, stating the performances raised the bar for high school productions.
“This year’s roster of musicals and dramatic productions were challenging choices for high school theater,” Scudiery said. “These productions are continuing to set the bar higher and higher, resulting in outstanding professional quality work – and certainly making the job or our evaluation team a very difficult yet gratifying one.”
